Classic Southern Chicken and Dumplings recipe makes a tasty and filling comfort food dinner idea for the family. Can’t go wrong with a classic! Seriously the BEST!
Classic Southern Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and Dumplings have been tricky in my house… I’ve been working on this recipe for five years, and I’ve finally gotten it as close to perfect as it gets!
You see, the problem was that Mr. Gracious’ grandma makes amazing chicken and dumplings, and comparatively mine were just sub-par, or never quite right. But the last time we had a family gathering and got to eat Grandma’s chicken and dumplings, Mr. Gracious confessed that he liked this Classic Southern Chicken and Dumplings better! That’s just about the best compliment a girl can get based on how much he loves Grandma’s chicken and dumplings! And it only took five looong years….
These Classic Southern Chicken and Dumplings are thick and hearty. There’s lots of chicken (cooked in a slow cooker for ease), and the dumpling recipe is for the thick noodle-type of dumplings.
If you’d like to cook your chicken in the oven instead, add some olive oil to a baking dish and bake at 325° until cooked through. Then shred the chicken and place the chicken, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, bouillon cubes, and salt and pepper in a stockpot over medium heat until simmering. Then add in your dumplings and continue with the recipe.
Classic Southern Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
Classic Southern Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken breast
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- enough chicken broth to cover the chicken about 4-6 cups
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Dumplings
- 3 cups cake flour See my Cake Flour Substitute guide if you don't have any on hand
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/2 tablespoons shortening this is just a bit more than a 1/4 cup
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Place your chicken, cream of chicken soup, and chicken broth into a slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker on low and allow chicken to cook for 6-8 hours, or until chicken is heated through.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Add in shortening and cut together with flour using a pastry blender. Your crumbs should be about pea-sized when you're done.
- Slowly add in water, a little at a time (you may not need it all). Stir with a fork until a ball begins to form, being careful not to over-stir (less is more for this one!).
- I usually let my dough rest for a few minutes at this point. Then I roll my dough out on wax paper and use a pizza cutter to cut into strips that are about 1.5 inches wide and 3 inches long. Allow your dumplings to sit out for several hours, uncovered (I like to leave them out for around 3-4 hours). This will allow them to firm up and maintain their shape once you add them to the broth.
- When your chicken is cooked all the way through, remove from slow cooker and either chop them or shred them.
- Transfer broth mixture to a large stockpot. Add chicken back in, as well as the bouillon cubes and salt & pepper. Bring the broth mixture to a low boil over medium heat.
- When the broth mixture is boiling, add the dumplings. Reduce heat, cover, and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and continue cooking until broth has thickened.
Did you like this Classic Southern Chicken and Dumplings recipe? Find more on my Dinner Ideas and Soups boards on Pinterest!
If you liked this Classic Southern Chicken and Dumplings recipe, you might also like
Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Chicken Pot Pie Crescent Braid
Never Miss a Thing!
Join our newsletter to get new recipes, tips, tricks, and tutorials every week!
susan says
January 31, 2015 at 1:59 pmenjoyed your recipes
Michelle says
January 31, 2015 at 2:27 pmThank you very much! I’m glad you did!
Charlene says
November 13, 2015 at 11:17 amI see it calls for 1 cup water but I do not see that in the instructions and I see milk in the instructions but not in the ingredients. Is the water suppose to be the milk?
Michelle says
November 13, 2015 at 3:58 pmI’m sorry! The milk was supposed to say water. So “slowly add in water.” I fixed the recipe! Sorry for the mix-up!
Patience says
October 11, 2017 at 10:32 amFor the slow cooker version do you use frozen or thawed chicken?
Michelle says
October 11, 2017 at 7:34 pmI’ve used both. I honestly have a tendency to forget to thaw the chicken until right before I need, so I’ll usually pop it in frozen.
Diane says
December 29, 2017 at 5:34 amFinally! I found your recipe. It’s as close to moms as I have found. Mom passed two years ago. We always enjoyed her dumplings. I never tried to make them because hers was the best. Now I’m retired and I’m into trying more recipes. So wish me luck and thank you! What did we do with out Pinterest?!